Applegreen has opened Ireland’s first Taco Bell restaurant this week as part of a €15 million investment in a new motorway service area at Junction 6 on the M3 in Dunshaughlin, Co Meath.
Applegreen is creating more than 100 new jobs at its new Dunshaughlin facility, which also includes an M&S Food shop-in-shop outlet, a new Braeburn Coffee Café, a Burger King restaurant, and Crafted, Applegreen’s bespoke new deli offering.
The motorway service area also has an Applegreen convenience store, a children’s play area, and a service station forecourt.
“We’re delighted to bring Taco Bell to the Irish market, and to open our newest site in Ireland,” said Seamus Stapleton, managing director of Applegreen’s Republic of Ireland business.
“Our Dunshaughlin site sets the standard for roadside hospitality in Ireland, with comfortable bright modern seating areas for customers, and a range of high-quality food options.”
The new Dunshaughlin motorway service area is part of Applegreen’s €1 billion plan to expand its business in Ireland, the UK and the United States over the next five years. Applegreen, which typically invests up to €50 million annually in its Irish business, is also continuing to expand its Braeburn Café business and its partnership with M&S Food.
The Dunshaughlin facility is Applegreen’s largest single investment project in Ireland this year. The new service area also features Applegreen’s new Crafted Kitchen & Deli offer, which will feature a range of new products and existing deli favourites, such as chicken fillet rolls and breakfast rolls.
Applegreen is one of Ireland’s leading retail hospitality brands. It opened its first service station in Ballyfermot in Dublin in 1992 and now operates almost 200 locations in the Irish market.